Heart and Soul
by sinking815
Summary: Speculation fic on Jack and Kate's reunion in S3 Ep13. WARNING CONTAINS SPOILERS! Oneshot. JK


Heart and Soul  
Sinking815  
March 16th, 2007  
A/N: SPOILERS FOR "The Man From Tallahassee"!!! If you don't want something MAJOR spoiled, STOP READING!!! Based on the American and Canadian promos for the upcoming episode. If you thought the walkie-talkie goodbye was rough, you better grab a box of Kleenex for this. As always, reviews greatly appreciated.

"_And they say that a hero could save us, _  
_I'm not gonna stand here and wait." Hero by Chad Kroeger _

* * *

Somehow Sayid knew she'd leave in the middle of the night. He woke just in time to see her dark ponytail disappear into the waving shadows of the overhead palms. The moon's high position in the ebony sky suggested an hour near midnight, yet Sayid felt the familiar rush of adrenaline purge the fogginess of sleep from his mind. He was on his feet in an instant, stepping lightly over Locke's still form and pushing back the brush to the tranquil scene of a secluded village.

The sound of branches cracking nearby made him start like a nervous animal, but his eyes soon found her silhouette emerge from the murky jungle. He watched her pause, a long slender arm rising to shield her eyes from the glaring moonlight, before she continued forward. Each soft thud of her hiking boots declared her determination and did its best to conceal any trepidation that might have made her step waver. Sayid's eyes darted around the compound, fearing for his comrade's safety and feeling only somewhat comforted by the sight of the high-powered rifle she had slung across her back. Kate was stubborn, he thought, noticing the murderous glint of the gun's metal barrel, but she wasn't stupid.

It took him only seconds thereafter to determine her destination. Her gait was unhesitating. Her shoulders were square and loose. She had the look of someone who knew exactly where she was going, as though she belonged among the small houses clustered in this remote and vast valley. The lone light emanating from one of the house windows was her guide and Sayid recognized it as the house they had silently watched a sweaty Jack enter hours before.

As she continued to make her way across the unpaved road, Sayid considered his options. He could wait quietly from his vantage point and hope that she wouldn't be discovered by a late-night Other. He could try to pursue her and possibly jeopardize her progress with his additional presence. Or he could wake Locke and in doing so, start an all-out ambush, a move destined to ruin any chance they had of getting their doctor back. Then again, Sayid thought with a slight shake of his head, the chances of rescuing Jack had seemed to slip away with every toss of that football.

* * *

She wasn't sure where this undeterred drive was coming from. A part of her wanted nothing more than to turn and flee from the gloom lurking behind every house she passed; a part of her wanted to sprint to the house as if that spot was her safe haven and beat down the door with the turmoil of the past week, using its pain and misery like a battering ram. It was precisely that conflict that kept her moving at a constant pace. With every step, the rifle bumped against her back, pushing her gently toward the soft glow of incandescent light.

Kate risked a glance behind her, uncertainty looming ominously over her head, and she swallowed with difficulty against the paranoia threatening the clarity of her senses. She had covered more ground than she thought, the distance between herself and the house much more inviting than retracing her tracks. Yet, she knew what lie behind her. She had no idea what hand fate would deal her if she made it to that front door.

Her nose wrinkled at her own fear as she noticed the irony of her situation. Here she was, surrounded by civilization, something she had longed for since the day of the crash, and she only could wish she had the frame of mind to spin and flee for the cover of the wilderness. She gritted her teeth and felt her hands crunch into fists, seemingly of their own accord. She had come too far to turn her back yet again. It was now or never.

As she climbed the steps of the rustic porch, Kate shied away from the human-made banister, eyeing it with a wariness more fitting a young horse. Maybe it was the clandestine atmosphere or danger's proximity that made her nervous, but she had the gut feeling that if she were to reach out for that handrail, she'd trigger some silent alarm. She prayed with each step that the wood beneath her feet would not signal a betraying creak.

And then she was staring at the door. The paneling was smooth and sophisticated, evidence of a craftsman who took serious pride in his wood-working capabilities. To Kate, it looked foreign and treacherous. The dim glow of the doorbell was the second hint that the Others had electricity and while the thought triggered a memory of a previous life, Kate found herself ignoring its convenience. She didn't necessarily want her presence announced anyway. Her hand grasped the doorknob with an almost imperceptible shake and she clamped her eyes shut, inhaled a deep breath, and twisted it loose from its lock. The door opened and fell away effortlessly and silently from her on well-greased hinges.

Almost not believing its existence, Kate stepped through the frame, squinting at the bright lights that were on inside the house. The entranceway was typical of most single levels she had seen back in the states, wood paneled flooring, open wall cutaways to the recesses of what she suspected led to the kitchen and living rooms. It was all like she might have expected, if her heart hadn't been pounding loud enough to echo in her throbbing mind. Everything was the perfect picture of a suburban lifestyle. Even the piano music…

She froze, a hand reaching instinctively for her gun and clenching the shoulder rest with panicky desperation. With rising anxiety, she listened to the soft chords permeating the serene night air around her. The tautness in her muscles relaxed when she recognized the rhythmic harmony of "Heart and Soul". Curiosity winning out, Kate tip-toed stealthily to her left, pressing herself flat against the wall separating dark from light, and breathed a steadying sigh to calm her frazzled nerves. She needed a plan, one that told her what to do if the musician was Jack and one of it wasn't. Clutching the gun to her chest, she snaked around the corner and assumed the trained military stance of a sniper in combat mode in one fluid motion.

She would've had the advantage had the floorboards not decided to creak.

The notes of the unfinished chord hung awkwardly in the air with the resounding click of the safety as startled hazel whipped around to meet unbelieving green. They stared, both shocked beyond words, both realizing too little too late that they had been ill-prepared for this confrontation. Whether from the incredulity of seeing him again or the realization that she was holding him at gun-point, Kate let the rifle drop limply from her hands, the heavy weight jerking her small frame enough to make her sway unsteadily on legs that had lost their strength. His words brought her out of her daze.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice low and hushed and almost accusing. She didn't realize she'd taken his lead until she heard her own whispers echoing in the stillness between them.

"I came back for you."

Jack glanced warily at the darkened entrance where she had come from and eased his long legs out from underneath the keys. Kate watched him take a deep breath, the way he always did when trying to work something complex in his head, and looked up to speak when the sound of screen door slamming cut through the tension. His eyes found hers and the frightened look in them unnerved her.

"Get out of here," he whispered, a sudden urgency penetrating his deep voice. "Right now."

She didn't move, only furrowed her brow at his unexpected command and cocked her head at him in disbelief. The pain of the butt of a rifle slamming against her spine barely registered before she felt the bare skin of her palms connect harshly with the floor. A boot crushed into the bruise already forming between her shoulder blades and her vision swam, blurring Jack's form before she was aware of the question.

"I said who else is with you?" a gruff voice asked angrily.

Confused, Kate looked to Jack for help, but suddenly his tall form towering over her seemed more of a threat than a comfort. She didn't catch the softness that colored his eyes when she let out a muted scream as the weight compressed with an unbearable pressure, a tell that would have betrayed the harsh tone he was using with her now.

"Just answer the question, Kate," he said.

She looked up again, her jaw hanging open trying to balance her incomprehension and her distress. This wasn't like him. He just continued to stare at her blankly, as if she were the intruder he was pretending she was.

* * *

Jack strained to keep his stare level and hard, despite the hurt worrying her delicate features. Something like horror and disgust scrunched the freckles across the bridge of her nose and Jack felt himself swallow back the person she wanted him to be. He knew she saw her chance to beg with him disappear and watched her mouth close firmly, barely muting the scream of pain as Brian drove his foot into her back. She wasn't going to give them anything, Jack realized as he watched her bite her lip against the agony.

"I said, who else is…?" Brian yelled, leaning his weight forward so he was practically compressing her ribcage.

"That's enough!" Jack shouted. He looked away from the relief that flooded her face and focused on the man before him. The look of knowing skepticism told Jack he was walking on thin ice and knew if he was going to navigate this predicament to his advantage, he needed to keep a level head.

"She's not going to give us anything," he continued, his tone dropping in hopes that Brian would follow suit.

"I can make her talk," Brian sneered, releasing the safety with an intimidating click.

"No, you can't. Trust me on this," Jack said calmly, despite the nerves fluttering crazily in his stomach. "Let me talk to her alone."

"Uh uh. No way in hell!" Brian shook his head. "Ben would never allow…"

"Ben doesn't even know she's here," Jack tried interrupting.

"…and she's armed. She's dangerous."

"She's not gonna hurt me," Jack said softly.

There was a pregnant silence and Jack felt like his last chance at reason was slipping out the open front door. The other man stared at him suspiciously, eyeing him up. Then without warning, he let out a loud disturbing laugh and all the blood rushed from Jack's face.

"I'll give you credit, Shephard," Brian said, "you do have nerve." He snapped a pair of hand-cuffs from his back pocket and grated the metal against itself to release the lock. Leaning down with all his weight pressing into his captive, he reached roughly to pull Kate's hands behind her back and then paused suddenly, as if reconsidering.

"Here," he said, chucking the cuffs at Jack. "You cuff her."

Without hesitation, Jack moved towards Kate, not letting his eyes meet hers. He knelt behind her prone form and reached for the still bruised wrists where hand-cuffs had bitten into her smooth skin. As gently as he could make rough treatment, Jack snapped the metal binders firmly in place, careful to not tighten the clasp too much. He made to rise, but was stopped short when Brian voiced a warning.

"Tighter, Shephard."

Jack felt like apologizing when she jerked away from his hands, the metal cutting deep into her almost healed flesh. Brian lowered his gun and dragged her forcibly to her feet. She stumbled gracelessly from his violent shove and harsh command, "Kitchen. Now!"

He flicked the light with the end of his gun and intentionally tripped his captive, sending her sprawling across the tile. "Don't move," he warned, holding his gun directly out at her. Kate only narrowed her eyes at her bully, her jaw set even more determinedly against the pain.

Brian redirected his attention at Jack and threw him back against the wall, getting right up into his face, the nine-millimeter joining their huddle with a threatening presence.

"Now you listen to me," Brian grated into his captive audience's face. "I'm going to the other side of those windows where I can see everything that goes on in this room." The gun gestured to the back porch and floor to ceiling patio windows. "If I think that at any point, you are attempting to betray us, I will point a bullet in your friend where no amount of surgery or heroism will save her. Do I make myself clear?"

"Very," Jack retorted, sounding braver than he felt. It had only taken him a few hours to realize that Brian was the bully at this compound. Juliet had suggested he keep a low profile around the man, hinting that he was another Danny Pickett, only with a finger quicker to pull the trigger. Even so, Jack would not let himself be cowed. Weaknesses had to be the first thing to go if this plan was to work. He had been following through until she had decided to walk back into his life.

"Good," Brian sneered, shoving himself off of Jack. He waved his gun one more time. "And Shephard…"

Jack looked at him with loathing.

"Just because Ben trusts you, doesn't mean I ever will."

The kitchen door slammed shut behind him, but Jack didn't move right away. He watched Brian seat himself in a lawn chair facing the kitchen, his burly arms crossed over his chest, his gun blatantly visible. Jack turned his attention back towards Kate, reaching out for a chair and sitting on it backwards.

"You okay?"

* * *

He said it as if he didn't really care to hear the answer, his tone cold and lifeless like it had been when she had been kidnapped about a month ago. She had disobeyed him then and she had disobeyed him now. Funny, she thought sarcastically, the more things changed, the more they really did stay the same. She only nodded.

"So who else is with you, Kate?"

His head was cradled in his hands, as if this was wearing on him, as if she was just another cause of a headache. She was powerless to look away when he caught her eyes. He shrugged an almost condescending "how do you expect me to help you now?" gesture and crossed his arms across the back of the chair.

"No one," she whispered. A lie and she knew he knew she knew it. He sighed, aggravated and uncomfortable.

Kate watched him glance to the window, his shoulders sagging under the weight she had inadvertently placed on her shoulders. His attention returned as she struggled to get her arms from behind her back. The look she caught scorching across his rugged features awakened the little thrill she got underneath his intense scrutiny. Her Jack was still in there somewhere.

"You learn that on the run?" he scoffed, trying to cover his bases.

She refused to answer that, just rose to her knees and walked towards him, squatting silently, holding his gaze steady with her own. He looked tired, she realized, but he averted his eyes before she could really understand what that meant. Her hands found his and they instinctively tightened around each other's fingers. For the first time in a long time, Kate felt normal.

"What did they do to you, Jack?" she whispered, feeling her voice breaking from the rush of emotions coursing through her.

He looked at her, something like hurt clouding his eyes, as if he was ashamed of what he was about to say to her.

"They're letting me go."

Kate felt her face give with the strain of holding back her tears. When had they become so guarded with each other?

"Go?" she asked.

"Home," he whispered.

The word split her resolve cleanly in two, the tears already smearing the dirt down her cheeks before she could think to blink them away.

"And you believe them?" she cried, knowingly echoing his own words.

He squeezed her hands slightly, swallowing hard before making himself look up to her face. Her watery green eyes pleaded with him against the insanity of this situation.

"I have to," he replied.

Kate rose swiftly, dropping his hands and bringing hers to cover her breakdown. She choked on the wave of despair that flooded her and forced herself to walk away, to put some proximity between him and herself. Her hands found the edge of the counter and she turned against it, slumping down to the floor. Her body shook tremulously, her face turning away from him when she heard him rise and pad across the tile. She shuddered beneath the gentle touch of his hand.

"I asked you not to come back here for me and I wish that you hadn't," he told her softly.

She nodded absently, ashamed to be crying so openly before him when he probably needed her to be the strong one. But even the shame wasn't enough to hold back her guilt anymore. He needed to see what his absence was doing to her.

"What did you expect me to do?" Kate moaned. Her voice was thick with tears and grief. She knew what he was going to ask of her, and this time she wasn't sure she was strong enough to give it to him.

"Run," Jack whispered.

She whipped her head to look at him, to see if he was mocking her faults. His unblinking eyes were telling the truth. He had wanted her to run, because he had thought that that was all she knew how to do. But how was she going to tell him that she didn't know where to run without him?

"I can't do this anymore…"

"Yes, you can, Kate."

"I don't know how to do this anymore."

Jack stared at her, facing her helplessness even though he felt his own resolve weakening beneath him. He pulled her closer to him, noticing her futile resistance and feeling a twinge of guilt that he was making her dissolve like putty.

"I'm going to tell you how," he said. She turned to look at him, her lower lip quivering and it was all Jack could do to not kiss her. She was beautiful when she was vulnerable. Gently, he took her trembling hand and pointed towards the door. "You're going to walk out back where you came from, get whoever came with you, and you're going home. And Kate…"

He touched a hand under her chin.

"Don't look back."

"Jack." She broke as another wave hit and fell into his embrace.

There was a sharp rap at the window and Jack knew his time was running out. He needed to make her understand just one more thing.

"Kate, listen to me," he pleaded. She refused to meet his eyes, but he plowed on anyway. "I know it's tough and it hurts. You have to leave because if you don't, they'll kill you."

She sniffed, letting herself drown in her tears. "I don't care."

"Kate, please. It's the only way." He paused and she turned when she felt the same break in his voice, shaking her head as if that would convince him.

"I will come back here for you," he whispered. "Now go."

He gave her an encouraging push and watched her rise shakily to her feet. She took a hesitant step and then paused, spinning to face him.

"You need two people to play 'Heart and Soul', Jack," Kate said, offering him a weak grin and swiping at her eyes.

Jack returned her sad smile and nodded, "I know Kate."

Finis


End file.
